


Hands in the Garden

by de_carabas



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-22 17:59:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11385438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/de_carabas/pseuds/de_carabas
Summary: Her tone is soft, comforting,  and Ryuji feels awfully cold when she pulls away.Ryuann snippets set before, during and after P5. Rating may go up.





	Hands in the Garden

**Seventeen – Shibuya**

 

They surprise her with karaoke for her birthday and she can feel her heart burning and glowing with joy at the sight of all her friends gathered to celebrate with her. They bought cheap cans of beer for the occasion and managed to sneak them in and there's so many people in the karaoke bar tonight, it's almost hard to breathe. 

Haru and Makoto made the most out of their booth, decorating it with big shiny balloons in shades of pink, white and red, all tied with golden ribbons. They hanged a large banner that sparkles, wishing her a happy birthday. People passing by their booth can't help but stare a little longer, observing the odd mismatched group of teenagers laughing and celebrating. Normally this much attention would make her feel uneasy, but as she clinks her can against Shiho's, her cheeks are flushed with nothing but happiness. 

“I can't believe you got Shiho to come!” she squeals happily as she sets her beer down on the table. Squeezing her best friend in her arms, she beams with delight at her friends.

“Ryuji is the one that got in touch with me!” Shiho exclaims, nodding in his direction.

Ann turns to look at her friend, and he gives her a sincere smile, holding his beer in one hand and waving at her lazily with the other. “Thanks,” she says, arms letting go of her friend. “It means a lot.”

He nods and hums at her, taking a swig of his beer. His smile mesmerizes her and she stares at him longer than she wants to. He's quick enough to notice and raises a brow at her in curiosity before being elbowed in the side by Yusuke. The boy has a perplexed look on his face as he points at his can of beer. She vaguely hears him ask his friend _Sup?_ before forcing herself to look away.

 

\- - - 

 

“Oh, I uh... I didn't see you there!”

They're outside, a little farther away from the bar and they can hear the muffled sounds of people laughing and singing inside. Cars are passing and a few people are hanging by the door to smoke. 

He's sitting by the curb and stands up when he sees her, shoving his cellphone in his pocket. His calmness is noticeable. He walks up to her with a smile. “Having fun?” he asks, and she can hear all the kindness of his heart in his voice. 

She beams at him. “Absolutely. Just wanted some air. It's getting pretty heated in there...” She rubs the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. “Also Shiho thinks Yusuke is weird.”

“No shit,” he chuckles. “We all thought that at some point.” 

They walk together in comfortable silence, shoulders grazing almost instinctively, before reaching the street corner. With alcohol happily breaking the ice, they're both staring at each other now, eyes taking each other in, aware it's become quieter than when they were closer to the bar. She is all shades of yellow and black in the flickering streetlights and it's almost surreal. 

She' breaks the silence first. “I'm glad you came.”

His cheeks redden ever so slightly but he recovers quickly, rubbing his neck. “You knew I'd be there, Ann.” 

“Yeah but I still mean it. We've been spending so much time together lately... and you got Shiho to be there too.” There's so many things she wants to say and she feels like her heart is dancing madly inside her chest. 

He doesn't say anything. Instead he inches closer towards her, pressing his lips into a thin line. They gravitate towards each other, shyly and hesitantly but it's almost natural at the same time. There's yearning, (there's so much yearning) and Ann feels her cheeks redden as she speaks. 

“You all mean the world to me... but you...” She looks away from him, trying to find her words. She tugs at her pigtails anxiously. “I feel like you're much more than that, Ryuji and it's weird because I just keep wondering if maybe...” her voice trails off, too embarrassed to continue. She wraps her arms around herself protectively before looking at him with a dismissive smile . “Just forget it.” 

Her heart is racing when he cups her face in his hands. 

“Huh...?” Ann's voice is quiet despite the surprise. The shock on her face softens quickly. He smells like beer and she knows she does too. He presses his forehead against hers and rubs his thumb against her cheek, the tenderness of his actions comforting and making her heart tremble. His movements are so gentle, it's almost hard to believe they are coming from him. 

“It's okay.” He says, and it's oddly soothing. “I figured it out already.” 

She places a hand on his chest and in this moment, he's there, he's solid and they stand there for a moment, breathing each other in, their bodies inches apart. Living. _This is real_. 

He pulls his head back for her to see a small grin on his face. Their eyes meet and she smiles hesitantly, as if her heart isn't just about to burst. She follows his gaze as they drop to her pink lips and she can tell he's ready, and he's not joking. 

He closes the distance between them, pressing his lips against hers tenderly, one hand caressing the back of her neck, the other pulling her closer to him. They're both new to this, clutching to each other, ignoring their shyness and self-consciousness and just being _sincere_. They're leaving their goofiness behind, the silly jokes they make whenever they're too close and just give in to their feelings, give in to a kiss they've both been wanting for so long. 

When they finally break the kiss, he smiles against her lips and places his hands on her waist. His voice is barely a whisper when he speaks once more, sending a small shiver down her spine. 

“Happy birthday, Ann.”

 

* * *

 

**Sixteen – Texting somewhere on the Ginza Line**

 

Ryuji: Hey, you busy?

 

Ann: No, I'm on the subway home

 

Ann: What's up?

 

Ryuji: Listen, about earlier... I'm sorry for what I said in front of Akira

 

Ann: Huh?

 

Ann: Oh nvm

 

Ann: It's okay.

 

Ryuji: Are you sure? I've been feeling like a dick ever since

 

Ann: Did you mean it? Do you really think I'm trying to be something I'm not?

 

Ryuji: You caught me off guard...

 

Ann: Ok?

 

Ryuji: You know I'm happy to help you whenever. You don't need to offer a date in return... It just felt forced is all, Ann.

 

Ann: Maybe you're right

 

Ryuji: And besides, if I wanted to go on a date with you, I'd win it fair and square :D

 

Ann: ... -_- See ya tomorrow

 

Ryuji: Lol, sorry. You did well today, though. You'll be in shape in no time!

 

Ann: I feel like my legs are about to fall off

 

Ryuji: That's a good sign!

 

Ann: Suuuure. I guess.

 

Ryuji: I gotta go help my mom with dinner now. I'll talk to you tomorrow!

 

Ann: Laters!

 

* * *

 

 

**Fifteen – Shujin Academy**

 

 _“I heard he punched Kamoshida-sensei in the face!”_  

She's waiting by the school gates for Shiho, browsing through her phone.

 _“Mhm! Apparently Kamoshida-sensei brought up his dad during track practice and he lost it!”_  

The sun is shining but it's a chilly morning, and she wishes her friend would just get here already.

_“Poor sensei!! So that's what happened! Sakamoto-kun is exactly like his father then! Although to be honest... seeing sensei with that bandage under his eye afterwards made him look really sexy!”_

_“I know right!”_

She buries her nose deeper into her scarf, shooting a death glare at the two girls coming through the gates, giggling about Kamoshida. They return the gesture, muttering under their breaths haughtily together, something about taking better care of him if it were up to them. 

She sighs before shoving her hands in the pockets of her sweater, shivering slightly. _Come on, Shiho..._  

She sees the crutches before noticing who they belong to. Her eyes widen when she sees him, the cast around his leg and the permanent mix of anger and shame inked onto his face. Around him, people are whispering and giggling as they pass him by. His eyes are downcast when he reaches the gate and she has to step in his way to stop him.

He furrows a brow, annoyed. “What, Takamaki?”

A pause. Her breath catches in her throat. What is she doing? They haven't spoken since middle school.

“I... Um...” She knows people are staring, and Ryuji's eyes especially are burning a hole into her soul. She clears her throat and tosses her hair behind her shoulders. “Do you need help going up the stairs?”

Time stops. Her ears are burning.

“Ugh, I don't need this...” He runs a hand through his dark hair angrily and shakes his head. “You feel bad 'cause your boyfriend did this or something?”

Her eyes widen at his accusing tone. The words echo in her mind, clutching at her heart and bringing her back in the moment. She steps aside, allowing him to pass, looking down at her hands. He doesn't hesitate, tightening his grip around his crutches and walking past her as fast as they allow him to.

What came over her to want to help him at all? They haven't spoken to each other in months, going their separate ways when high school started since they were in different classes and truthfully, they weren't even that close to begin with. They shared a few laughs here and there back then, but it had been easy to cut ties, especially when he was so dedicated to the track team.

Her heart tightens at the thought, the sudden recollection that the whole club disbanded after the incident making her grit her teeth. How could he associate her with such a disgusting human being? If only he knew the reason why she was giving Kamoshida a bit of her time...

Her mind's in a swirl of anger and self-righteousness as she spins on her heels and makes her way to the stairs, reaching Ryuji in the space of a heartbeat. Their shoulders barely touching, she leans in close to his ear, just enough for him to hear her speak in a low voice. 

“Don't act like you know me,” she says this in the most neutral tone she can muster, but even she can hear the challenge and threat in her voice. “Because you don't.”

And with that, she leaves his side, ignoring the looks of students gaping at them and pushing the school's front doors open with a bit too much frustration. She feels her phone vibrate in her pocket when she opens up her locker and forgets all about Ryuji when she sees Shiho's message. 

_I can't make it to school today, bad injury from yesterday's practice._

Her stomach drops and her insides burn as she rereads the message over and over, tears threatening to blur her vision. Grabbing her books quickly, she proceeds to slam her locker shut and wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. The rush of anger takes over her once more as she stomps on the floor violently, curling her fists into balls. 

“Ugh! That fucking bastard!”

 

 

* * *

 

**Sixteen – Hawaii, Akira and Mishima's hotel room.**

 

“Are you asleep?”

“Yes.”

“Seriously?”

“...No, Ryuji.”

There's movements in the darkness, a light grunt as he sits up and leans back on his palms.

“I can't fall asleep.”

“Mm.” She rolls onto her back and stares at the silver moonlight reflecting off the ceiling. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she lets a sigh escape her lips. “I can't either." 

Their voices are barely audible, like crystalline murmurs in the night.

“Hey, do you ever wonder what's going to happen to us in a few years?”

“You mean like when we become adults?”

He stays silent for a moment, as if he's letting her question linger in the air above them.

“I guess so.”

She gently pushes her covers to the side and crawls to the foot of the bed quietly, careful not to wake up Akira and Mishima sleeping soundly in the room with them. She lies down on her stomach and crosses her legs, a small smile forming on her lips as he shuffles closer to her bed and rests his back against the end of the mattress. Drawing lazy patterns on the sheets with her fingers, she considers his question in silence. The sound of her fingers moving against the soft fabric is strangely soothing to him, and he allows himself to close his eyes for the space of a heartbeat

She takes a deep breath before speaking. “Well... I hope we'll all still be friends.” 

He lets out a small chuckle before twisting his head back slightly to look at her. “I don't think I can imagine a future where we all grow apart from each other.” 

She gives him a firm nod before addressing the new feeling of uncertainty bubbling in her chest. “Are you worried about the future too?” Her voice is small, timid, as if she's worried he'll simply laugh it off or make fun of her for being afraid. It's like she knows that deep down, this is a question he doesn't like answering, that this is something he likes to brush off and cast aside with a joke and a silly forced smile. 

He surprises her with a sigh that resonates deep within her, the kind of heavy sigh she'd make when she feels tiredness all the way to her bones. 

“I guess I'm more worried about becoming like all these shitty people we fix in Mementos... or like my father.”

With a start, he feels her arms drape around his shoulders before she squeezes him tightly. His cheeks are flushed when he places a hand over her arm, patting it lightly in confusion and slight embarrassment. There's so much warmth coming from Ann, it's almost tangible and his skin is burning everywhere it touches hers.

“You'll never be like them.” She says this quietly, her face buried in the crook of his neck and it's like something is letting go of its grip around his heart for a moment. Her tone is soft, comforting, and Ryuji feels awfully cold when she pulls away. “That's just not who you're going to be.”

Her rush of emotions surprises her just as much as him, but when she ruffles his hair playfully in an attempt to lighten the moment, she realizes the truthfulness of her words and that she meant every part of it. Heartbeat steadying and no longer hammering away in her chest, she sits up and takes a deep breath before giving him a cheeky grin. “Besides, I'll be there to keep you in check.”

He chuckles quietly, staring at the darkness before them. Minutes pass before he speaks again, breaking the silence in a soft voice. “You're going to be amazing, Ann.”

Her cheeks begin to burn as she gives him a questioning look. “Why would you say that?”

He turns to look at her once more, this time turning his full body around, his brown eyes meeting her blue ones with kindness and determination. “I mean it. I know you. I know how great you are and what you can do.” He pauses and flashes her a smile. “I know you always put your mind to it when there's something you really want.”

She doesn't know what to do except smile a bashful smile and scratch the back of her neck. He returns the gesture, grinning sheepishly at her before looking at the jet black sky through the window. There's a soft breeze ruffling through the palm trees and it's like there's not a soul in sight.

He turns to look at her and he's surprised to see her observing him so intently, as if she's trying to figure something out about him, her blue eyes focused and concentrated and he's about to tell her to knock it off before Mishima grunts in his sleep and they're both stifling a laugh.

“I guess we should try to sleep.” He's back under his sheets now, staring at the ceiling, a soft smile hanging on his lips.

She nods before lying back down and resting her head on her pillow. “Yeah, have a goodnight.”

They stay silent longer this time, eyes fluttering shut and breathing in deeply almost as if they were in sync, both trying to ignore the soft flush of their cheeks and how warm they felt. He's painfully aware that his heart is racing faster than he'd like it too but he just embraces it anyways.

“Yeah, I'm not worried about you at all, Ann.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is my first fanfiction written in a really long time! i fell in love with those two and just had to write about them. will try to update regularly! ♥


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